India to achieve tough targets, and now what?
Solar energy has taken off in India unlike anywhere else, within the short span of 4 years, the NDA government has ramped up both expectations and targets. And even more, surprisingly has surpassed its own expectations. But, it would do better, if the bureaucracy moved its attention away from the simplistic world of targets and towards the tougher world of a healthy value chain for solar energy.

Curbs on coal mining fuel Meghalaya’s campaign

A third of Meghalaya’s candidates are coal miners.
One of the most beautiful states of India is gripped by coal mine politics. And miners will not give in easily to orders emanating from distant Delhi. Employment and short-term profits will lead to a long hard battle for coal mining in this environmentally sensitive state.

A day in the life of a govt Clear-Air-Campaign team in Delhi

Central, State and Municipal Governments Collaborate in Delhi.
Government departments rarely collaborate with each other. And governments across Central, State, and Municipal even more rarely so. And when the controlling political entities are AAP and BJP, it’s even more surprising. But India is a strange country and the most unthinkable does occur once in a while! But one part is clear governments and departments will need to come together if they want to address any environmental problem.

Separate tariff category for electric vehicles in the works

Lower price for charging your car in off-peak hours.
Nice proposal where cars charging in off-peak hours will need to pay less. But why should everyone not pay less in non-peak hours? Because the utilities are reluctant to invest in time-based meters. Another one of those elementary steps that need to be taken.

Panchayats excelling in waste management to get Rs 5 Lakhs each

How to incentivize environmentally beneficent behavior.
How might rural governments, with little technology and managerial depth, clean up garbage? An interesting example that appears to be working well. Hmmmm….

Initiatives

India Is Not 'Self-Destructing', It’s Being Destroyed Systematically

Several time bombs, all ticking away.
“Climate change, toxic environments, burgeoning aspirations, jobless growth, crumbling infrastructure and of course, pollution being just a few of them. The current models of social consumption and growth are simply unsustainable.” Says Raghu Raman, head of Reliance Risk. Moreover “no single component can be solved in isolation,” he thinks.

Pune lads curb mechanical waste and air pollution, one vehicle at a time

What a business model!
Pune lads build a new business – get your vehicle repaired at home and they will handle the waste on top. Mechanical waste is rarely spoken about in India but these lads think of a model that is a win-win-win. Home-based vehicle repair – the consumer wins, employment wins, and the environment wins as well as they take back the waste! Here’s wishing them success!

Waste is best managed by monetising it

A bureaucrat talks about incentives.
The Indian bureaucracy rarely talks about monetary incentives, and when it does, the country needs to sit up and listen. The bureaucracy in India evolved in colonial days when punishment was the norm. Monetary incentives are not the instinct even after almost three decades of economic reforms. But this article talks about the many opportunities that open up when we think of rewarding good behavior rather than punishing a bad one.

38% Of American Cars Were Electric In 1900

The first Porsche was electric!
A fascinating article on how electric vehicles accounted for 4 out of 10 vehicles at the turn of the century. And how Ford and Edison collaborated to mass produce an electric vehicle!